Light or Dark: Damon's Choice
by xHPFan31x
Summary: Takes place after Shadow Souls. Damon is lost in his new humanity. Forced to feel, he realizes how badly he's hurt those around him. Can he redeem himself and win over the woman he loves? Or, will the kitsune prevail?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to LJ Smith...not me :(**

Damon sat on the floor, shocked. Just last night, he had been all-powerful and, dare he even think it, happy. But, that had all changed in a matter of minutes. He'd been so curious about that damned bouquet! If Stefan had known what it was, why hadn't he told the group? Did he want to keep it a surprise? At the very least, he could've taken it to his bedroom! Part of Damon knew that his complaints were ridiculous. Everything that had happened was his fault. But, another part of him needed to blame someone else. He simply couldn't deal with the fact that he'd just ruined his entire immortal life in one stupid move.

As he sat, lost in his depressing thoughts, he felt something on his face. Putting a hand to his cheek, he felt a wetness. Confused, Damon looked at his hand. Blood. He was bleeding. He looked up. Stefan was on the couch, panting, head in his hands. Matt was near Stefan, trying to console him. Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith were…laughing? Did they think this was funny? He'd smelled a flower and woken up with the worst chest pain he'd ever felt. Of course, Sage had sensed his distress and came to him. Once he'd figured out what had happened, he had been reluctant to tell Damon. And then there was the whole breathing issue. Damon, feeling slightly dizzy, realized he'd forgotten again. Taking a deep breath, he sent the angriest glare he could muster towards the girls. This was not a laughing matter. How were they supposed to beat Shinichi now? And, how was Damon supposed to prevent himself from receiving another malach? He _certainly_ didn't want to deal with _that_ again.

Then, he noticed Mrs. Flowers. She was holding a tray of waffles, looking about as confused as he was. She saw the blood on his face, put the tray down, and hastened to get an icepack. Damon stood. Cursing his weak, human body, he made for the couch. But, at Stefan's face, he turned around. Looking around the room, he saw glares and amusement. No one had any sympathy for him. But, he mused, why should they? He was a sarcastic, murderous animal to them. Even Elena was laughing at him. Her reaction hurt the most. After all that they'd been through, she didn't even care. Damon blinked furiously, trying to rid his eyes of the tears that were forming. Being human, he couldn't lock away his emotions. He was forced to _feel_. And, he hated it. He could feel a tidal wave of the pain he'd accumulated over the years. It was threatening to break through his tough exterior. So, he turned and ran to his bedroom. He _wouldn't_ lower himself and cry like a woman in front of Elena.

He flopped on his bed, feeling like an actor in a bad soap opera. The tidal wave he'd felt in the other room was overtaking him. Images flashed in Damon's mind. Mother holding him. Mother holding Stefan. Mother's death. Elena. Stefan. Elena. Katherine. Katherine's death. Katherine tying him up, hurting him. Katherine's real death. Elena's death. Stefan. Stefan's face. Stefan as a baby. All the things Damon should have done as an older brother. Mother, again. Father. Father, hitting him. Father, telling him he wasn't good enough. Now, there were just faces. Mother. Katherine. Stefan. Elena. Stefan. Katherine. Elena. Mother. Father. Elena. Stefan. Stefan. Stefan. Oh, the things he had done to his brother. Damon's body was wracked with sobs. He simply couldn't hold them back any longer. Now, he lay on his bed feeling like some sort of baby, crying his eyes out. No one bothered him. No one even ventured up the stairs. Damon didn't care. He didn't need any of them.

And then, it was over. Damon sat up. All of his pain had, quite simply, poured out of his being. Well, all but the most recent pains. Stefan, and of course, his newfound humanity were still there. The last, the fact that no one wanted to help. He'd made everyone at the boarding house so unhappy with him that, now that he was dying, they didn't care. In fact, they were probably thrilled. Elena's face as she laughed with her friends flashed through his mind again. He winced. There was a knock at the door. Damon check the mirror. The red rims around his eyes were barely noticeable. And, at this point, he didn't care. At this point, he just wanted to die, to get it over with.

"Can I come in?" A voice. Elena. Damon sighed and fell back on his pillows. Sure, she could come in, but only if she didn't expect an answer. Obviously, she hadn't. She opened the door and looked upon him, pity clear in her expression. Damon frowned at her.

"I don't need your pity, Elena. If you've come to 'make me feel better' than get the hell out." He knew he was being a bit harsh, but he was angry. He was so angry at Stefan it blotted out all other feelings. Even the ones that were pleased that Elena had come to speak to him. The ones that, subconsciously, realized she cared for him. He watched her face. Hurt flashed in her eyes and then it was replaced by anger.

"I thought you might want an icepack. You're face is probably already bruised. Unless you want it to swell, I suggest you take this." She said, coolly. Damon looked at her, surprised. He touched the left side of his face and found that it was a bit squishier than usual. How he had failed to notice this when he had looked in the mirror was a mystery to him. He could tell, now, that his face was not pretty. Groaning, in both pain and frustration, he took the icepack from Elena and pressed it to his face. But, he had pressed to hard. Yelping, he threw the icepack down. Elena sighed and picked it back up again. She moved toward him.

"Stop being such a baby. It doesn't hurt if you don't slap it on!" She laughed and gently put the ice pack to his cheek and left eye. The cold felt good against his throbbing features. Damon moaned, this time in pleasure. And then, he noticed something odd. Elena smelled different. She didn't smell like blood, like sustenance. She smelled…like roses. He looked at her strangely. Elena stared back. She looked into his eyes and Damon felt drawn to her. He leaned toward her and Elena did the same. Then, the door banged open.

**If you like it, review and I'll continue!**


	2. What's That Sound?

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. LJ Smith does. It's really too bad because Damon Salvatore is...*sigh***

**AN: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! Here's chapter 2!**

Damon jumped back as Stefan entered the room. The brothers glared at each other. Stefan was angrier than Damon had ever seen him. But, at this moment, he welcomed it. There was nothing he wanted more than a fight with his brother. Elena wouldn't have it. She grabbed Stefan's arm and pulled him down to the bed. Damon gave her another odd look. It was _his_ bed. Stefan had no right to sit on it. Just because he was human didn't mean that his brother needed to walk all over him. But, wasn't that his mantra just yesterday? If you were stronger, you could do anything you liked. And, at the moment, Stefan was quite a bit stronger.

"Relax, Damon. I brought him in here to apologize. I think both of you need to apologize." Elena looked at both brothers. "I'll leave you to mull things over. But, I expect a heartfelt apology no matter if I'm supervising or not." She looked pointedly at Stefan, obviously expecting him to take responsibility, before leaving the room. That was another thing that bothered Damon. No one ever thought he was responsible enough. It was always Stefan. Everyone thought Stefan was so perfect. So, what about him? Was he doomed to live in his brother's shadow for the rest of his existence? For, he refused to believe that anyone would allow him to remain a human for the rest of his days.

"Damon, I-" Stefan started, but Damon interrupted him. He didn't want to hear any of Stefan's crap.

"No, Stefan. I know that, whatever you're about to say, isn't true. It's purely for Elena's benefit. We don't like each other. We never have. There's no reason to start now. So, do me a favor, and leave me alone." He watched Stefan's face. Anger, confusion, and then more anger. His brother just glared at him, nodded, and left the room. Damon sighed. Okay, so he'd been hoping Stefan would have disagreed and said something helpful. Something that would make him feel better. But, deep inside of him, he knew it would never happen. Suddenly, there was a strange noise from his stomach. Damon jumped. Then, he heard it again. Was there already a malach inside of him? He hurried to the dining room. The rest of the household were sitting, eating dinner. Damon hadn't even noticed that the entire day had gone by. He had lay in bed for longer than he thought.

"There's something wrong with me." He told the table grimly. The noise came again. "See? There it is! What's going on?" Damon cried. Suddenly, the entire table seemed to have a case of the mustn't-laugh giggles. He seethed. So, again, no one cared. Fine, he would go die in peace. Turning, he was about to head back to his bedroom when he felt a warm hand on his arm. Damon turned back around to find Bonnie. She, too, was smothering a giggle. He glared at her. He was dying and she _laughed_? Even if they all hated him, he expected at least an ounce of sadness from _someone_!

"Damon, there's nothing wrong with you." The giggles finally escaped. "You're…just…hungry!" She managed to get out. Then, she pulled him into the kitchen. On the table was a tray with human food on it. Damon stared, disgusted. Sure, he was human, but he still had a brain. That stuff looked…inedible. But, Bonnie picked up a small, square, brown thing. Damon almost choked when she took a bite of it and held it out to him. He backed away and ran into a counter. Pain in his hip. Damon winced and groaned. How many more bruises would he procure before the day ended?

"Well... Aren't you going to eat it?" Bonnie asked. Damon shook his head. "Just smell it. It's good! It's a _brownie_, Damon. You can't not like chocolate." Bonnie was just as excitable as ever. Damon, however, was reluctant to smell this "brownie". But, to please Bonnie, he breathed in the aroma. And…was shocked. It smelled heavenly! It was almost better than the flower that got him into this mess! As though he were possessed, Damon moved forward and delicately bit off a piece of the brownie. It tasted as good as it smelled. Damon leaned back against the counter, satisfied. Suddenly, he was ravenous. He needed food _now_. Looking at the tray, he decided that he would try everything on it and, by the time he was done, he would be full.

Two hours later, Damon lay on the couch, moaning in pain. As he had forgotten hunger for food, he had also forgotten how to control it. He had eaten the entire tray of goodies and they had been delicious. Now, though, he found his stomach in massive amounts of pain. Bonnie simply stood by, holding a wet cloth to his head. Damon retched. Suddenly, he felt really sick. He felt the food he'd eaten coming back. But, it wasn't nearly as delicious. It was disgusting. And, before he had time to think of anything else, he had turned to the side and thrown up into a bucket Bonnie had thoughtfully brought for him. Damon moaned. This was not how his night was supposed to have gone.

"Damon? Are you okay? Do you want me to get you something?" Bonnie was frantic. Damon, however, was suddenly feeling much better. He assumed it had just been the quantity of bad food. He, again, cursed his frail, human body. Apparently, he couldn't even consume large quantities of food without issue. Since he was feeling better, Damon stood up. The last thing he remembered was the room turning sideways.

**AN: Review!**


	3. Voices

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. It's all LJ Smith's. *sigh* If only...**

**AN: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS AND FAVORITES AND STORY ALERTS AND ETC! You guys are awesome! I didn't know so many people would like this story... Anyway, here's chapter three! I'm sure you've all been wondering if Damon's okay.**

The first thing Damon's mind recognized were voices. Someone was talking. No, not someone, more than one someone. What were they saying? His brain was sluggish. Damon was not yet awake. Well, he was aware, but he couldn't seem to open his eyes. Defeated, he decided he would just have to listen to the conversation. He strained his weak human ears to hear what was going on. Was there an emergency? And, they were just letting him sleep?

"He hasn't woken up yet. Stefan, are you sure he's alright?" He couldn't recognize the voices. The names were just out of his reach. But, "Stefan" rang a bell.

"Yeah, yeah. He'll be fine. Can we go to bed? I'm really tired."

"You two go. Meredith and I will stay with Damon." Footsteps growing quieter and quieter. He caught "Meredith". The name made him uneasy for some reason. And, he heard "Damon", his own name. Why were they talking about him?

"Poor dear. His wrist is at quite an odd angle. I think he might have broken it. Let me get my things. Hopefully, I can do something about it before he wakes up in pain. Dr. Alpert can come over tomorrow." Soft footsteps moving away from him.

"Oh! I didn't even notice! I hope he's alright!"

"He'll be fine. Look, Mrs. Flowers is going to fix his wrist and he'll be good as new. Although, he wasn't exactly good to start with." Laughter and then more footsteps. Damon struggled to open his eyes. Something touched his forearm. He jerked involuntarily.

"It's already begun to heal. I'm going to need to re-break it and set it. Hold him steady, girls." Damon tensed when hands grabbed his arms and held him down. He was still halfway unconscious. What were these unnamed phantoms doing to him? And then, there was counting and a crack. Pain and everything went black.

* * *

"Shh. He's waking up!" A voice hissed. Damon's eyelashes fluttered. And, finally, he was able to open his eyes. Blearily, he looked around the room. Bonnie was standing over him, looking worried. Meredith was sitting across the room on another couch. Damon, himself, was lying across a larger couch, the same one he'd been on before. And, there was another person in the room. Damon could see slippers, but the face was out of his line of vision. He assumed it was Mrs. Flowers. Then, he noticed something odd. There was something on his wrist. It burned and itched. Damon went to take it off, whatever it was, and was met by two different hands.

"Damon, when you passed out, you fell and broke your wrist. If you want to take that thing off, fine. But, when you do, it'll hurt like hell. Dr. Alpert is going to come over tomorrow and put a cast on it." Meredith told him icily. Damon froze. He'd done what? And, there would be a _what_ on his forearm tomorrow? A tired Stefan came into the picture and Damon realized he was hyperventilating. He had been a vampire only yesterday! How had everything gone so wrong? Stefan was looking into his eyes. Damon heard something about being tired. And then, he couldn't keep his eyes open. Dimly, he realized he was being compelled, but he was too tired to care. He let his eyes close and the darkness overtook him.

* * *

Damon had a sense of déjà vu as he opened his eyes. He surveyed his surroundings and found that he was in his bed. How had he gotten there? Last night was hazy. Damon remembered trying chocolate, getting sick, and then everything falling sideways. After that, things got dicey. He remembered voices and a strange…something on his arm. And, vividly, he remembered Stefan's face leaning over his. After that, there was nothing. He was forced to conclude that his brother had compelled him to sleep. But, Damon couldn't blame him. It was all so stupid. He realized, now, that their fight over a woman had been a mistake. And, just when they were going to make up, he had screwed up again. He closed his eyes and sighed. There was one good thing about today. Damon felt more like himself than he had yesterday. Sure, he still had to remember to breathe and eat, but he felt as normal as he possibly could.

He made to get up. Damon noticed something out of the corner of his eye. There was something hard and dark on his wrist. His heart began to pound. Was it a malach? Was there a malach on his arm? What would he do? Damon looked. Then, he growled. It wasn't a malach at all. It was a black cast. Looking closely, he could see several notes in silver Sharpie. He smirked. So, they cared about him after all. There was a note from each of the girls and one from Sage. Mutt, no Matt, and Stefan had decided to skip out. Damon didn't care. He could taunt his brother with the fact that Elena's note was the longest.

Padding into the hallway, Damon moved towards the larger living room area. Everyone else was up and about. Elena and Stefan were cuddled on the couch. Damon almost gagged. Looking away, he noticed Bonnie watching the couple, seeming forlorn. He wondered what was going on with her. Mutt, or Matt, was with Bonnie. He was staring at her lovingly. Again, Damon almost gagged. And then, he had an idea. The cast might be useful for _something_. He crept behind the couch. His brother was distracted and didn't notice. Elena sensed something was amiss, but didn't look behind her. Suddenly, Damon swung his arm down and hit Stefan in the face with his cast. He smirked at his brother's surprised yelp.

"That's for messing up my face." Damon told him seriously. Then, he took a seat on a chair across the room. He knew better than to mess with people stronger than he was. It wouldn't end well for him. He saw Sage giving him a thumbs-up. Damon smiled. So, he'd managed to do something right. And, hitting Stefan with his cast hadn't hurt at all. Finally, Damon noticed that he'd taken a seat next to Meredith on the love seat. He scooted away from her. She had always unnerved him. Now that he was human, the feeling was doubled. It wasn't that she wasn't pretty because she was. It was more that she didn't like him and that her glare was…scary. She was one of the few humans that ever made Damon nervous.

Mrs. Flowers and a woman entered the room. Damon took the unknown to be Dr. Alpert, the one who had put the stupid cast on his wrist. The two older women took seats on the couch with Stefan and Elena. Now that they were all there, everyone fell silent, facing the awful reality of their situation. They were in trouble. Damon looked around gravely. No one had anything to say. Didn't they want the kitsune gone? Well, he knew where to start, but he wasn't sure they would listen.

"So… If no one else is going to say anything, I will. I don't know what the rest of you have to fight for, but _I_ want my memories back. I think it would be a good idea to research kitsune. Maybe, we'll find something important." He tried to gauge everyone's reaction. They were all nodding approvingly. Then, Elena spoke up.

"Well, I don't think all of us should do research. Some of us can go out and see what's going on. And, some of the stronger ones, meaning the vampires, can search around the woods. Never going in, of course, but seeing what goes on right outside. Maybe they'll find something important. The humans will probably stay home and research. Bonnie and Mrs. Flowers can work with magic. Maybe the two of you can find some protection spells. Or, maybe offensive spells to use in a fight. That way, everyone will be doing something important." She looked pointedly at Damon when she said this. He sighed. Why did everyone have to baby him just because he was suddenly human? Sure, he'd lost his Power, but he wasn't incompetent. He was still the same man, wasn't he?

**AN: I promise there is a point to Damon's cast. You shall see in the coming chapters. You know the drill: REVIEW. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Research

**AN: Sorry for the lack of updates. I had a busy couple of weeks, but here's chapter 4. It's not too action-packed, but I need it to bring the story into the action :P So, enjoy!**

Damon sat in his bedroom. He was researching. However, he hadn't realized that research could be so boring. He'd been looking up "kitsune" for _hours_. Unfortunately, there wasn't much about them online. He'd found a Wikipedia link, but it had only had minimal information. Something about tails and star balls. They already knew most of it. But, he'd found a few interesting points. He planned to share with the group later. Now, though, there was something else clouding his mind. Stefan and Sage were out by the woods. Damon desperately wanted to go with them. He couldn't stand sitting here alone. Okay, Elena, Meredith, and Mutt…Matt, were researching, too. But, Damon didn't want to be compared to them. Elena, he wouldn't mind, but the other two bothered him. And, the stupid cast was becoming a problem. He could feel his wrist getting stiff quickly.

Bored, Damon decided to venture out of his bedroom. He, once again, made his way into the living room area. There, he found Elena on her laptop. She seemed to have followed the same link, but she'd only just found it. Damon closed her laptop and chuckled.

"No need, princess. I was just coming to tell you what I found in the same article." He looked around the room, realizing that all of the humans were there. Now, he should really have been out with Sage and St. Stefan, hunting down bad guys on their turf. But, here he was, human and stuck in the house. He sighed. Oh, there was the broken wrist, too. That was a downer. It looked like things wouldn't be picking up anytime soon.

"You already read it? Wait, you actually did some research?" Bonnie sounded surprised. Damon was a little hurt by her lack of support. He wasn't _that_ bad. He had helped them plenty of times! Honestly, it was as if she'd forgotten it all.

"_Yes_, I'm not completely useless, you know. I may be human, but I'm still the same guy! And, I'm somewhat trustworthy." He'd never felt the need to defend himself before now. But, he figured that he needed these humans to like him. They would be protecting him in the battles to come. And, he needed Elena to know that he was trustworthy. Damon couldn't bear it if she couldn't trust him.

"She knows that, Damon. She was kidding. Relax. Why don't you take a seat?" Elena patted the spot next to her on the couch. Damon sat down. He decided that hormones were a bitch. Now that he was human again, his body was producing hormones. They were making it extraordinarily difficult for him to sit next to Elena and do nothing. But, he managed. She was looking at him expectantly. He realized he was supposed to be telling the group what he'd found in the article.

"Oh, right. So, once you get rid of the possessor, the victim won't eat any foods preferred by foxes, like tofu and stuff-" He was going on, but Elena interrupted.

"Damon? That's not really very helpful…"

"I wasn't done yet! As I was saying, there was also a section on hoshi no tama, the star balls. Basically, the stories say that they're either fox fire or jewels. Now, this part might interest you. It says that, when a kitsune takes human form, the star ball either holds a portion of their power or their soul. They're not really sure. But, if it represents the kitsune's soul, they can't be away from it for too long or they'll die." He told the rest of the group.

"That makes me think it's more likely to be the soul. I mean, did you see how angry Shinichi got about us having it? If it was only a portion of her Power, I don't think he would have been so mad. That's not necessarily a good thing, though. It means that we need to use it quickly. If Misao dies, we lose all hold we have over both of them." Meredith put in helpfully. Damon nodded. He'd been thinking the same thing. It was strange that their minds were so in tune. Usually, Meredith went out of her way to oppose him.

"But, wait, there's more!" He said dramatically. "It also says that, while the kitsune isn't in human form, they carry the ball in their mouth or on their tail. I guess, if they're human, they leave it somewhere."

"So, if they're human most of the time, Shinichi has hidden his. We should probably work on finding that." Matt said. Damon agreed. If they had the star balls, the kitsune would do anything for them. Maybe he could have Shinichi whip up another flower for Stefan. Of course, Stefan would change Damon before he smelled it. Then, everyone would be happy. Suddenly, this was no longer a mission to save the town. This was a mission to reconcile the brothers. Damon decided to tell Stefan of his plan as soon as possible.

Damon was growing restless. He _hated_ being cooped up like an animal. He decided to take matters into his own hands. He wouldn't sit back like a lump while everyone else did the work. Nor would he stay home while Sage and his little brother had fun. Damon stood up.

"I'm going out." Before Elena could tell him, he added, "Don't worry. I'll be careful." And, with that, Damon left the boarding house. He had no protection of any kind, but he didn't think about that. The only thing he could think of was doing something helpful. He wanted everything to be like it had been. He wanted to be powerful, capable, again. Damon could think of no better way to prove himself than to go out with the real men. He would show them all. He would show them that Damon Salvatore wasn't weak. He would prove to them that he was still the strongest thing out there. Damon didn't notice, then, the golden eyes watching from the trees.

**AN: Cliffhanger! Sort of...lol. Um, you know the drill. Review because it makes me want to write more.**


	5. The Old Wood

**AN: Sorry about the wait. It's summer and I had a busy week with tennis tryouts and the last week of work. I'm going on vacation for this week, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to update next week. I'll do my best. Anyway, here's chapter 5. Sorry it's a little short!**

Damon wandered through the Old Wood. Though it was only afternoon, the Wood was dark as night. It was always dark these days. It seemed that Elena's light couldn't penetrate the evil that lurked within the Wood. Frankly, it was a bit unsettling. Damon shoved his hands into his pockets and plodded on. He was only just realizing the horrible situation he'd just put himself in. He was weapon-less, Power-less, and one of his arms was _useless_. So, why had he done this again? Oh wait! He knew the answer to this one. He was trying to prove himself…_again_.

Since becoming human, he had felt an overwhelming urge to prove himself to everyone. They all thought he was no good to them anymore. Stefan hated him for stealing his "gift", though how anyone could call it a gift was beyond Damon. Elena was a little angry with him because Stefan was angry with him. And, everyone else hated him to begin with, so that didn't change. The only one on his side was Sage, ever faithful. Sage had become a friend to Damon. It hadn't always been like that. They'd been partners in crime way back when, but nothing more. Now, after going through what they had, they were much closer.

Damon heard a rustling in the trees and turned towards the sound. He didn't see anything, so he chalked it up to nerves and left it alone. Then, his foot got stuck and everything went downhill from there. It was muddy in the forest and Damon had sunk in. But, when he tried to pull his foot out, it didn't work very well. He got his foot out alright, but his shoe didn't come with it. Groaning, he bent and tried to pull his shoe out of the gunk. It was stuck. Damon could see that it wasn't going to happen. Maybe, if he could use his left hand correctly, he would've been able to un-stick it. But, his left wrist was in a cast, so that wasn't any help. Damon decided to leave the shoe and continue. He tried calling Stefan in his mind, before realizing that there were two problems. One, he couldn't call people with his mind. And, two, Stefan hated him. So, how was he supposed to find them?

Damon was getting dizzy. Hadn't he passed this tree before? But, that was impossible. He hadn't turned once, so he had to be imagining things **((AN: He forgot about Shinichi's snow globe things when the kitsune took his memories.))**. That didn't stop the situation from being unsettling. There was another rustle. This time, there was no mistaking it, there was something _there_. Shaking, Damon began to run. He'd completely forgotten his instincts, the ones that told him running would do no good. He was a human and completely and utterly vulnerable. He hated being vulnerable. Where were his brother and Sage when he needed them? Then, predictably, he tripped. Landing on his bad wrist, of course, he cursed and stood back up. Damon heard a noise and looked behind him. As he did, there was another noise from the opposite direction. He turned the other way. Then, there was a noise to the side. His head snapped to the left. Suddenly, there was a hand over his mouth and a voice in his ear.

"Don't move and _don't _scream or I will kill you, Damon Salvatore."

***At the boarding house***

Stefan pulled up to the boarding house, Sage in the passenger seat. He was still angry, but he felt useful which was better than sitting around doing nothing. He actually felt for Damon. He knew his brother wasn't one to sit behind the scenes and watch the action. He _instigated_ the action. Stefan couldn't figure out how this fight would play out. And, how would they win without Damon, one of their strongest players? Sure, his brother would want to fight, but Stefan would make sure he stayed out of it. He couldn't lose Damon. As angry as he was at him, he was his brother. Looking over at Sage, it seemed the other vampire was lost in thought. Stefan got out.

As they entered the boarding house, Stefan immediately took a seat next to Elena. Sage, however, chose a spot closer to Bonnie. The humans looked worried. Matt was biting his nails. Obviously, they'd done their research and it hadn't been good. Stefan noticed that Damon was absent. Where had his brother gone? He couldn't hear Damon's strange breathing. Because his brother had to think about breathing, he took deeper breaths. So, where had Damon gotten to?

"Hey, you didn't happen to see Damon on the way home, did you?" Elena asked him. This worried Stefan. Damon was probably doing something stupid.

"Uh, no, we didn't. Why, is something wrong?" Stefan replied with another question, trying to hide the worry in his voice.

"Maybe. He's been gone for a long time… And, he's human." Bonnie put in. Stefan looked at her. He used his Power to search for Damon. However, Sage had the same notion. He'd beaten Stefan to it.

"I'm not sensing _anything_, Stefan. Where could he have gone for us to get _nothing_?" Sage looked at Stefan, very worried. Stefan groaned. Stupid, arrogant, asshole of a brother!

"He must have gone into the Old Wood. Let's go… Who knows what's in there? And who knows what kind of trouble Damon will get himself into?" With that, everyone was up. Stefan and Sage made it out first, literally jumping into the car. Elena, Bonnie, Meredith, and Matt followed. As soon as everyone was in, Sage floored it. He had opted to drive this time because he had better reflexes than Stefan and could drive much faster without any danger of crashing. The Old Wood loomed ahead, black and uninviting. How could Damon have walked in there? Stefan sighed. Damon was Damon and nothing, not even humanity, was going to change that.

**AN: Hmmm...Another cliffie! Gosh, I'm so mean. Review because I know you want to know what happens next!**


	6. The Road Less Traveled By

**AN: I figured I should get this chapter up before school starts tomorrow. After that, I'm not sure I'll be able to update as much. I'm doing my best, but school is rather important. Without it, I'll be a poor homeless person! O.O That would NOT be fun. Anyway, here's the chapter!**

As they piled out of the car, Elena was worried. The Old Wood? Had Damon really gone in _there_? Of course he did. He'd have to prove to them that he was capable of doing something. The problem was, everyone believed in him except for Damon himself! That irked Elena to no end. This whole stupid situation could have been prevented had Damon had higher self-esteem. But, these days, high self-esteem was hard to come by. Even Elena's ego had been somewhat deflated between death and everything else that had happened. Saving Stefan had been difficult, but she'd loved it. The question was: Had she loved it during or after the rescue? In other words, had she loved being with Damon or getting Stefan back? The answer was unclear. And, it would never _be_ clear unless they found Damon.

Elena sighed and looked at Stefan. They were in the wood now. It was only a matter of time before they fell into a trap. Had Damon fallen into a trap? That certainly wouldn't have been good. The traps were impossible to get into unless one _fell_ into it. And, it was impossible to leave without Shinichi's special keys. Somehow, Elena doubted that the kitsune would give them the key to free Damon. But, she was getting ahead of herself. They didn't even know if Damon had fallen into a trap yet! Although, something inside of her was telling Elena she was right. This time, however, she didn't want to be right. She did her very best to ignore the feeling, to believe that Damon was alright.

"This isn't going to work. Look, staying on the 'safe path' isn't helping. Knowing Damon, he didn't stay on the path. He probably didn't even _start_ on the path!" Elena was fed up. She knew that Stefan and Sage were only trying to protect them, the humans, but she was trying to protect _Damon_. Why she needed to protect him she didn't know. She only knew that she _had_ to get to him _now. _With that thought in her mind, she left the group and started on her own path. Crashing through shrubbery and pushing branches out of the way, she was making good time. She heard a twig snap. Elena pivoted. However, when she had turned around, there was nothing there. Writing it off as paranoia, she kept going, a bit quieter this time. About a minute later, she heard a rustle in the leaves. Elena frowned. Alright, this wasn't paranoia, there was something there. She could have groaned. Why had she snuck away from the group again?

Elena ducked into the brush and sat, silently watching the place she'd been standing. Nothing happened. Just as she was starting to believe she had escaped her stalker, she felt a breath on the back of her neck. Elena whirled and looked the mystery person in the face. Then, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Oh my god, Stefan! Don't scare me like that! I thought I was being abducted!" Elena exclaimed. Stefan cocked his head.

***Somewhere Else*******

Damon woke in an uncomfortable position. Where was he? How had he gotten here? He was in a windowless room. But, the strangest thing was the shackles. He was chained to a chair. Had all of it been a dream, then? Maybe he was still a vampire. Damon pulled with all of his strength against the chains. His wrist felt odd. He looked down and groaned. Not a dream. The cast was still there. So, the question remained, what was he doing here? And, where was "here"? Again, Damon looked around the room. It was bare. The walls were concrete, the floor was concrete, and the ceiling was concrete. The only thing in the room was the chair with the chains and, of course, Damon. He strained against the things holding him to the chair. He was really stiff. The chains were digging into his arms, his chest. And, he was so confused! He wanted an explanation. At least, before he died, he deserved to know who was behind it.

Damon's stomach made a sound. Oh, great, he was hungry, too. He was tempted to call out, but he knew that wouldn't help. Likely, there were guards at the door. So, instead, he tried to remember. Damon thought hard, as hard as he could, about the night before. Where had he been? He remembered doing research on kitsune. And, he remembered sharing it with the group. But, wait! Then, he'd felt left out because Sage and Stefan had gone to check out the Old Wood. Of course, he'd followed them in and gotten lost. And, _someone_, had captured him. Who was it?

"Morning, sunshine." A voice called from nowhere. Shinichi. Where had he come from? How had he gotten in? If he found the entrance, he'd found the exit. Damon attempted a growl, but it didn't sound very menacing because he was human. He heard Shinichi chuckling.

"What are you doing? Let. Me. Out!" Damon yelled, struggling now more than ever. Shinichi came into the light of the room. He was smiling at Damon, as if they were good friends on an outing.

"Me? Oh, I'm not doing _anything_. You, on the other hand, are doing quite a bit." He told Damon mysteriously. Damon groaned inwardly. Why couldn't he just be straightforward? But, Damon knew the answer to that. Shinichi was playing with him. He'd captured him to serve some greater purpose, but that purpose was still unknown to Damon. He forced his tense muscles to relax.

"I'm not doing _anything_ for you, bastard."

"Oh, I beg to differ." And, with that, Shinichi was gone.

**Shinichi POV**

Shinichi entered the large living room area. Misao was already there, sprawled on the couch, looking paler than she had just this morning. He sighed. The band of merry idiots had taken her hoshi no tama. It was the most important thing a kitsune had. Sure, it held some of her Power, but it also held her _soul_. The fact that his sister's soul was being held, even now, by disgusting human beings made him want to throw up. But, there was an advantage to all of this. He had his own disgusting human being in the form of Damon Salvatore. It was amusing to him that someone so strong, someone who had beaten him before, had lost everything. How weak he was. Shinichi had gone with chains to tie him down, just in case, but he figured that rope would've done the job. Still, the chains would be painful for Damon. That, too, made him smile. For, it was Damon who had gotten the star ball in the first place. Yes, he was a naughty naughty boy. And, naughty boys needed to be punished.

Shinichi sat down beside his sister, taking her head in his lap. She was so beautiful. But, of course, so was Elena Gilbert. She was part of his plan. Not only would he save his sister, he would have Elena Gilbert, too. And, Damon Salvatore would bring her, and the rest of them, to him. Shinichi realized that, again, he was relying on Damon to do his work for him. But, that was really no problem. This time, he wouldn't need any malach. He could do this on his very own. See, while Damon was trapped with the kitsune, the others would miss him quite a bit. Then, undoubtedly, they would come to find him. And, when they did, he would convince them to do what needed to be done. It was the perfect plan. And in the meantime, Damon would be the twins' plaything. They had been bored as of late. Shinichi smiled. His plan was flawless.

**AN: Hmm...I wonder...Does anyone else spot the flaw in Shinichi's plan? Or, is it just me? Anyway, I hope you liked it! Review because there's lots of good (dramatic) stuff coming!**


	7. Dinner and a Show

**AN: Sorry about the wait. School is HORRIBLE this year. Too many classes and homework and sports. I'm having some issues. But, after next month I should be able to post more often :P Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

**Stefan POV**

They had been searching for hours. After he'd found Elena, they had stayed on their own non-trail, still looking for his missing brother. Stefan sighed. Why was it that he always had to be the responsible one? Sometimes, he felt like the older brother. He was the one who picked up after everyone, after all. Now, his brother was utterly helpless and lost in the Old Wood, the most dangerous place in Fell's Church. Typical Damon. He would run off just to prove that he was better than they were. But, this time, he wasn't. In fact, he was worse off than any of them. He was not only human, but a _new_ human. He had no idea how to survive. Hell, he had trouble breathing, the simplest of tasks!

"Elena, this isn't working." He looked to his fiancée. Elena grimaced and nodded solemnly. They would head back towards the others. Stefan had been receiving sound bytes from Sage for the last few hours. He'd been looking for Stefan and Elena, while the couple had been looking for Damon. All in all, it had been a wild goose chase. And, worst of all, nothing had been accomplished. Where _was_ he?

"How is it that we can't find him? I know the Wood is huge, but I'm pretty sure we've covered most of it. It's got to be one of Shinichi's traps!" Elena exclaimed. Stefan knew she was frustrated. The tone of her voice told him just how worried she really was. That, in turn, worried him. Why was she so worried about his brother? Stefan was worried, but he was sure Damon could take care of himself. Even as a human, he was an arrogant jerk. What sort of bond had Elena and Damon created while they were in the Dark Dimension? And, most importantly, what had happened in the motel room? He still hadn't gotten an answer to that question. When he'd asked Elena, she'd merely shaken her head and told him that the story was for another time. It didn't help to calm his nerves. There was a rustle of leaves and Sage and the humans came through the trees. Elena tensed, then relaxed. Stefan grimaced.

"We've been looking everywhere for you! And, for Damon! What were you two doing?" Sage asked angrily. Stefan sighed and shook his head.

"Elena snuck off to follow her instincts and I followed. We don't think Damon would stay on the path. So, we went off of the path. Now, Elena thinks he fell into one of Shinichi's traps." Stefan was grim. If, in fact, Damon had fallen into a trap, it would be nearly impossible to free him. In his peripheral vision, Stefan saw Elena finger something in her pocket. He looked at her questioningly.

_"Misao's star ball."_ Came Elena's thought-message. It was strange now, that she could hear his thoughts. He wondered if she'd caught him worrying over her relationship with is brother. _Was_ there something going on between them?

***Somewhere Else*******

**Damon POV**

Damon struggled uselessly. He'd been at it for hours and nothing had changed. Literally, nothing. He was still in the concrete room, he was still hungry, and he was still extremely pissed off. Just to blow off some steam, Damon screamed. It was a loud, angry sort of scream. He hoped it would frighten _someone_. Though, it was unlikely. He wasn't very frightening anymore. In fact, he wasn't sure he'd be able to frighten a kitten these days. Damon flopped back in the chair. Well, half-flopped. It wasn't exactly possible to flop anywhere while chained to a chair. The backs of his thighs were starting to lose feeling. The chair was rather hard and uncomfortable. And, he was still so confused. What could Shinichi want with him? And, where had he gone? Damon hadn't seen, nor heard, from the kitsune since his last visit. Now, that could've been days, hours, even minutes ago. There was no way to know in this windowless room. He felt as if he'd been in the room for all of eternity. Though, that was impossible because he was still the same. He wished he were able to move his hands. His nose itched. But, he knew it wasn't possible. His hands were stuck in his lap. He laughed. How awkward.

Damon didn't know which way was up, down, left, or right. Everything in the room looked the same. The ceiling looked like the floor and the walls looked like the ceiling. His stomach growled again. It had been going on for ages. Damon didn't know exactly how long, of course, because of his current position. Maybe he could annoy his way out of the chains.

"Hey! I'm hungry! If you want to use me, you're going to have to feed me!" Damon called to no one in particular. He got no response. Fine. If they wanted to kill him, he didn't mind. If they ended it for him, he wouldn't have to live out one lifetime as a human and grow old and die. And, he wouldn't have to do anything for them if he was dead. Somehow, he knew they wouldn't let him die. For some reason, Shinichi was relying on him. Damon wished he knew why. If he did, he might figure out a way to screw it up.

There was movement in the corner. A flash of red. Damon laughed. It was Shinichi. He was trying to enter dramatically, but it was turning out to be quite corny. As expected, Damon felt breath on his neck. Honestly, that was the oldest trick in the book. Involuntarily, he shivered. Damon cursed his stupid human instincts. Then, he cursed Shinichi for starting this whole thing. It was his fault to begin with. Damon hoped he'd brought food. He wasn't planning on being cooperative without it. Actually, he wasn't planning on being cooperative at all. Luckily, Shinichi didn't seem to be paying attention to the thoughts in Damon's head. He appeared in front of the chair with something that looked like a thick rope and…a collar? Damon began to struggle again. _Oh, the irony._

"Oh, Damon, ever the fighter. It's no use, you know. You'll never break free from those chains. Not 'til I say so. And, I don't say so yet." Shinichi smiled. Then, he approached Damon, placing the collar around his neck and tightening it. There was a strange metal part that poked into his throat. Damon knew what it was, but he didn't want to think about it. Instead, he focused on biting Shinichi's hand. The kitsune hadn't been paying attention to Damon's head. He was caught off guard and let out a yelp. Damon grinned. Shinichi had loosened the chains. They fell to the floor as Damon stood.

"I'm a fighter, remember?" Shinichi pulled out a strange device and pressed a button. Too late, Damon realized what was going on. Then, there was pain as volts of electricity ran through the collar and into his neck. Damon knew no more. There was just pain. Finally, it ended and he sat up, realizing he'd been a twitching mass on the floor. Glaring at Shinichi, he stood. Then, the kitsune tied a strong rope to his collar and led him out of the room. It was humiliating. Damon felt his face redden, in both anger and embarrassment. Worse still was the fact that there were people in the hallways. It occurred to Damon that he had no idea how they'd left the room. They had been inside, then they hadn't been. It was unsettling.

They were approaching a door. Shinichi opened it and Damon gasped. Misao lay on a large bed in the center of the room. She was pale and sick-looking. That was not the most surprising thing. Damon gasped when he saw the many televisions lining the walls. Each had a picture of somewhere in Fell's Church. The kitsune twins had every shop and home under their surveillance. The only place he didn't see was the inside of the boarding house. However, on one of the screens in the Old Wood, he found something that made his blood run cold. On that television, he saw his brother, Elena, Sage, and the other humans. Surrounding them in the shrubbery, there were tons of children. Damon was sure they were all possessed and dangerous. As he watched, one of them jumped out with a stake. He was headed straight towards Stefan, whose back was still turned.

"Stefan, no!"

**AN: Wow, I _am_ mean. Another cliffie! hahaha. Aaaaanyway, let me know how you liked it, as usual. And, I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP!**


	8. Loved and Lost

**AN: Sorry about the long wait...again. Tennis season's over now, so I should have more time to write! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

**Stefan POV**

Stefan stood in the clearing, still discussing his brother's possible fate. What would they do? How could they save him if he was in a trap? Shinichi had proven himself. He was a good villain, if nothing else. Unfortunately, as he thought about these issues, he failed to notice the more pressing issues that surrounded him. Stefan was still lost in thought when something hard and sharp pierced his back. He heard Elena scream. Then, he was on the ground. He choked on dirt and grass for a few moments before managing to roll onto his side. Then, he felt the pain. Humans didn't know the pain of a simple piece of wood. To Stefan, it was a hundred times worse than a knife. Waves of pain rippled through his entire body. The stake seemed to be in deep. He put his hand to his back, but it was no use. He couldn't reach it. Finally, accepting the fact that he would not be taking part in this particular battle, he looked up. What he saw was far from comforting. They had truly been surrounded. His friends were fighting for their lives. Stefan focused on Elena. She was doing quite well. She had her Wings. He smiled. Good, as long as Elena survived, all wasn't lost.

Everything was becoming blurry. Things looked prettier that way, blurry. It was as if a fog had descended over the world. His first thought was Damon **((AN: I know he didn't have that power in the books, but I liked it. Sue me.))**. Then, he realized that Damon was human and no longer had that power. With a pang of sadness, Stefan realized this might be the end. There was a stake in his back. He didn't know how deep it was, or what it had hit, but it was incredibly painful. In fact, at this point, Stefan wouldn't have minded dying. At the very least, the pain would stop. He coughed up something. Spitting, he realized it was blood. That probably wasn't a good thing.

Stefan looked back toward the battle. Elena had fended off her own group of teens and was now helping Matt with his. Meredith and Bonnie were working together. Talon and Saber had shown up to help Sage. All in all, it looked like the good guys were going to win. Smiling, Stefan lay back. If this was it, he was glad his friends would survive. But, what about Elena? Would she miss him if he passed on? Or, would she go running into his brother's arms? Assuming they found him, of course. Did anyone even notice that Stefan was still down?

There was a shout and Stefan closed his eyes. He didn't want to see who'd fallen. He had given up on himself, but the thought of the others' survival helped calm his nerves. Stefan had died before. But, the last time, it hadn't felt like this. There was a hand on his forehead. Whose hand was it? He tried to open his eyes, but he didn't have the strength. He only wished he could say good-bye to Elena.

"Stefan? Stefan? Open your eyes! Wake up! Please!" That was Elena's voice. But, it sounded so far away. Again, the hand on his face. And…something…wet? Something was dripping on him. Absentmindedly, he wondered what was broken. Suddenly, he remembered something crucial. Elena! She was the hand. And, the wetness was her tears! Oh, how sorry he was that he had to leave her. But, there was something important he had to say before he left. He sat for a few more seconds, gathering the last of his energy. This was it. He forced his eyes open.

"Elena," he rasped. "Tell Damon…I'm sorry." He hoped she heard him. "I love you." He managed to choke out. It was difficult to speak because of the blood in his mouth. He couldn't turn over to empty it. It was suffocating him. It was a good thing vampires didn't need to breathe or he would've been gone a while ago. There was a warm and comfortable darkness spreading through him. Stefan realized he was very tired. Picturing Elena's face, sans tears, he let the darkness fill him up.

**Elena POV**

She'd managed to fend off her own attackers. The Wings were quite useful in a battle such as this. Though the possessed children had Dark magic on their side, Elena used the Light. Looking around, she saw that Matt was in trouble. He had nothing but his fists. She rushed to his side. Fighting next to Matt felt good. But, she noticed something odd. Where was Stefan? After he'd fallen, she had assumed he had stood and joined the battle. But, looking around the clearing, there was no Stefan. Finally, she saw his limp form on the ground where he'd fallen. How had she not realized? He'd been staked in the back, but it hadn't looked deep. Then again, what did she know about stake wounds? With a last look at Matt, she sprinted to Stefan's side, tears already streaming down her face.

"Stefan? Stefan? Open your eyes! Wake up! Please!" She was panicking. He couldn't leave her, not now! She brushed his hair away from his forehead. He didn't seem to notice. Then, quite unexpectedly, he began to speak. Like Elena when she died, Stefan had a last request. And, Elena would honor it if it killed her. He wanted her to tell Damon he was sorry! At this, Elena began to sob.

"I will, Stefan. I promise, I will." She said. Before her eyes, Stefan stilled. Gone. He was gone. Brushing his hair back once more, Elena kissed his lips one last time. Then, she stood. They had killed him. The kitsune had killed her Stefan and she was going to make them pay. Turning around, she ran full tilt into the battle, fighting with her every ounce of strength. She was a formidable opponent. She was slowly working off her anger. But, they were losing. Despite Elena, they were outnumbered. There were simply too many teens for them to handle. Each time one fell, another one sprung from the trees. Elena stopped. Why did it matter? They were going to die. And, she would never be able to tell Damon what Stefan had told her. Then, there was a disturbance in the trees. _More?_ Elena thought. But, what jumped out of the brush was not at all what she'd expected. Mrs. Flowers and Dr. Alpert! And, they had the Post-It notes! Surprisingly agile for older women, they raced around the clearing, marking friends with some and foes with others. Finally, the possessed teenagers scattered. Obviously, they didn't want to be anywhere near the clearing. With the fight over, Elena's anger ebbed. Stefan was gone. That in mind, she sank to her knees, sobbing once more.

**AN: Didn't see that one coming, did you? Haha. Review!**


	9. Will It Ever End?

**AN: GAH! I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever. My life is a mess at the moment. But, here's the next chapter!**

**Damon POV**

Damon stood, jaw to the floor, staring at the screen. Stefan wasn't moving. He wasn't _moving_. How could that be? Stefan always made it through. No matter what, he was a constant in Damon's life, whether he liked it or not. The elder Salvatore couldn't wrap his mind around what had just happened. Stefan wasn't _moving_. The thought kept repeating in his mind. Dimly aware of a tugging on his arm, Damon was frozen. Stefan couldn't be… He couldn't think the word. If he did, he wouldn't be able to deal. He needed to stay strong in this strange place. This could've been one of the kitsune's tricks. Shinichi _did_ love to play games. Maybe this was his way of getting back at Damon, through pain and suffering. Damon had, after all, ruined his plans. And, he'd taken his sister's soul. Shinichi certainly wasn't happy about that.

Someone was dragging him. Damon's vision was blurry. He closed his eyes. He didn't know what was happening. Was he in shock? He supposed it was possible, now that he was human. Couldn't humans die of shock? He panicked for a moment, before a numbness took over his emotions. He could no longer _feel_. Stefan was the most important person in Damon's life. He never showed it and he'd never even come close to sharing that information with Stefan. Now, he never would. Damon had always believed he'd get a chance to say what he needed to before his brother died. He hadn't expected it to come so soon, so unexpectedly. He didn't even know wherehe was! How could he have possibly gotten to Stefan in time to tell him all that he needed to know? Waves of guilt crashed over Damon, breaking through the numbness. It was as if there was a grate, blocking out every other emotion. He remembered every awful thing he'd ever said to Stefan. In fact, the very last thing he'd said to Stefan was, "That's for messing up my face." Offhandedly, Damon realized his face was dripping wet. He didn't care. It didn't matter; nothing mattered anymore.

Suddenly, something occurred to him. Elena. Oh, hell. If _he_ was going to pieces over his brother, what was she going through? Damon couldn't even imagine. Thinking about it made everything hurt more. Damon opened his eyes to find himself back in the cement room, again chained to the chair. He didn't even struggle against the chains. It wasn't worth it. Why fight if there was nothing to fight for? _Elena,_ the voice in his head put in. Fight for Elena? She'd loved Stefan more than Juliet loved Romeo, more than Damon had loved his own mother. Would she ever get over him? And, even if he decided to fight for her, would he be able to escape the hell he'd been thrown into? _No_. He slumped back in the uncomfortable chair. He just didn't care anymore.

**Bonnie POV**

Bonnie was panting next to Meredith. Both girls were out of breath and shocked. Where had they come from? And then, there was a terrible noise. Bonnie hadn't had the mind to notice anything that wasn't a part of her circle of foes during the battle. Looking over, she located the source of the noise. It was Elena, sobbing over something on the ground. Bonnie didn't want to look, to see what had made Elena so hopelessly depressed. But, as Meredith moved closer, Bonnie reluctantly followed. Then, she could see everything. The blood, the stake, and…the _body_. Bonnie could sense nothing from Stefan Salvatore. It was as if his mind had gone dark…forever. And, by the look of things, it had. She rushed to Elena, taking her hand and embracing her. Meredith did the same on the other side. They had been prepared for the bad things, but no one had expected something like this. It was impossible. Stefan was a _vampire. _He was immortal, invincible. He was _Elena's fiancée_. He couldn't be dead. It seemed the others in the group shared her thoughts. All except for Elena. Bonnie couldn't detect any coherent thoughts from the blond girl's mind. It wasn't like the dark and empty depths of Stefan's, but it was too jumbled up to be understood.

Bonnie was _scared_. If Stefan could be killed so suddenly, a sob shook her petite frame, any of them could be. Then, Sage was there, holding her hand. Matt joined the circle. He was followed by Mrs. Flowers and Dr. Alpert. Elena was lost to the rest of the group. She would not be consoled. In response, the group crowded closer around her, doing their best to make her feel just a bit better. They had to get out of the clearing. They had been ambushed once. Staying out here would be inviting the teens to strike again. That was something they obviously couldn't handle. They would be captured…or killed. Bonnie began to shake. She felt an arm wrap around her torso and smiled. Sage was too nice to her.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Bonnie saw something moving. She screamed. Were there more already? Had the teens regrouped to come after them a second time? Everyone was looking at her. Even Elena, tears still streaming down her face, had looked up. Bonnie didn't notice. She was staring at a small piece of land. It was _moving_. But, the strangest part was the small white object that seemed to be rising from the ground. That would explain the movement. As if in a trance, Bonnie stood and moved closer to the thing. She still couldn't see what it was. Though, the ground had stopped moving. The small white thing was simply sticking up. Moving closer still, Bonnie could see that it was a piece of paper. Still cautious, Bonnie picked it up. There was writing on it.

"Elena, there's something over here." She knew Elena would care the most. If the paper had any information on Shinichi's whereabouts, the kitsune was as good as dead. Bonnie watched her friend rise robotically and make her way over. The others followed. As soon as she was close enough, Bonnie handed Elena the piece of paper. She hadn't read it yet. At this point, she felt that Elena would want to know first. Bonnie could only watch as Elena read and reread the paper, her face turning whiter by the second.

"Elena, what is it?" Asked Meredith, always calm in a crisis.

"It… It says, 'Give us what you took and the killing stops. Or, keep it and watch your friends die one by one.' What do we do?" Elena looked around, eyes wild. Meredith came over and placed an arm around her.

"Now, we go back to the boarding house and analyze this note. It's a clue from Shinichi. If we're lucky, it could lead us to Damon." She told Elena, her calm façade once again in place. She was always so calm. At Elena's nod, the girls, Mrs. Flowers, and Dr. Alpert crowded around Elena protectively and walked her out of the Wood. As they walked, Bonnie realized something. _Magic leaves traces._

**Matt POV**

Matt and Sage stayed, knowing they had a job to do. Looking at each other, they both cringed. They would have to take Stefan back to the boarding house so Elena could bury him. Matt didn't want to think of the awful scene. Elena would be sobbing again and the thought of lowering Stefan into the ground for good unnerved him. Stefan was unbreakable. He'd made it through months of torture at the hands of the kitsune, only to be killed two days after being freed. The thought was too much. Matt shoved it out of his head and focused on the task at hand, not much better than his morbid thoughts. Taking one last look at Sage, Matt turned to face his friend's body. _What?_ Something was very wrong. Sage grunted in surprise when he turned. Stefan's body was gone.

**AN: O.O What do you think? Reviews are greatly appreciated! I'll try to update soon.**


	10. Bargain

**AN: I'm guilty so I'm giving you two chapters in 24 hours!**

**Shinichi POV**

He'd scrapped the first plan. It was taking far too long. But, he had a new plan, a better plan. This one would work for sure. He supposed the previous plan would have worked, but Misao would be dead before it did. No, he needed speed. The humans had a vampire on their side! What on earth was taking them so long? On the other hand, he'd effectively broken Damon Salvatore. That was definitely a plus. Yes, doing away with the younger brother had worked very well. Shinichi hadn't thought things would fall into place so soon. But, the humans were more determined than ever and Damon was effectively out of the picture. Not to mention the fact that the humans were minus one, albeit very weak, vampire.

Shinichi made his way down the corridor towards Damon's cell. He walked with purpose, head held high. This was for his sister. Misao was not going to die. Shinichi simply wouldn't allow it. Reaching a door that wasn't actually there, Shinichi stepped through into Damon's cell. The door was, in fact, another one of his little tricks. He was quite pleased with himself thus far. And, at Salvatore's blank look, Shinichi grew even more pleased. Face drawn, eyes closed, the man sat in the chair, rigid. This was how he had looked for the last day and a half. Shinichi smiled again.

"Poor, poor Damon. Whatever will you do without ickle Stefan-kins?" He taunted. Damon went white. Suddenly, he was struggling against the chains, howling with rage. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the screaming and fighting stopped. Damon sat, face blank once more. Shinichi laughed maniacally and left the room. He pulled aside one of his many servants.

"He's ready."

**Elena POV:**

It had been a day and a half. Thirty-six hours without Stefan's warm embrace. Two thousand one hundred sixty minutes without his soft voice or his green, green eyes. Elena felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest. He was _gone_. There was no one she could turn to anymore. Sure, Bonnie, Meredith, and Matt were around, but Damon wasn't. She could tell Damon anything and he wouldn't judge her. But, she just couldn't describe most of her feelings to her human friends. She wasn't just human anymore. She was…_more_. Now, anyone who could help her with that comfortably was gone. _Sage_, she thought. Sage could help her. But, how well did she know him? What if Shinichi's words had a ring of truth? Was he not who he said he was? More importantly, did she want to risk it? No. She just wanted _Stefan_.

She stood. It was the first time she'd been up for a day and a half. Her muscles were stiff and aching, but she made her way to the living room anyway. Now that she thought about it, she was rather hungry. As she got closer to the living room, she could smell things from the kitchen. Were they making waffles? Elena's stomach growled. Then, she stopped, thinking of Damon. He'd been so worried because his _stomach had growled_. He barely knew what to do with himself, yet he was locked away in an undisclosed location no doubt guarded by the kitsune twins and their demonic friends. Involuntary tears ran down Elena's face. Her vision was blurry, but she pressed on, now headed for the kitchen. As she turned the corner, she ran right into someone.

"Elena? Elena, are you alright?" In her state, the first person who came to mind was Stefan. But, when Elena looked up, she was met with Matt's bright blue eyes. He looked worried.

"Yes," She sniffed. "I'm fine." Elena wiped at her eyes. Gently, Matt pulled her into an embrace. It felt nice, leaning on someone. For the last day and a half, Elena had forced herself into solitude, mourning with everything she had. But, she knew they had things to deal with. She couldn't be selfish just because her fiancée was…she couldn't think the word. No, she had to help defeat the kitsune. She would have her revenge. If nothing else, it would keep her mind occupied. It was a good thing, coming out of her bedroom. She had to face the fact that it was _just her bedroom_ now.

"Are those waffles?" Elena felt she should smile, but couldn't force her muscles to make it happen. She moved into the kitchen, craving food.

"Yeah, do you want some?" Matt asked her, surprised. She hadn't been eating. Of course, this was a good thing. Elena knew she was human and had to eat. She couldn't shut down just yet. Smiling at her, Matt placed a large plate of waffles on the table, gesturing for her to sit down. She complied, needing to rest her aching limbs.

"So, what have I missed?" She asked, tucking in. Had they done any research? Had they found her fiancée's body? Though, that gave her a sliver of hope. If his body was nowhere to be found, he could be alive! Maybe he'd been taken, too. Maybe he was with Damon right now! Or, maybe the kitsune were so evil they couldn't stand to let him have a proper burial. Elena's face fell once more.

"Unfortunately, not much. We had an idea, but we were waiting for you. See, Mrs. Flowers and Bonnie say witches can trace magic. Obviously, that note was sent to us with some form of magic. But, Mrs. Flowers is too old to do it because it takes a lot of strength. She's been teaching Bonnie the spell. Today, I think they're going to try it out. If it works, we can find out where the kitsune are and, through them, where Damon is!" He grew excited as he spoke. Elena was confused. Didn't he hate Damon?

"You seem awfully excited to find a guy you hate…" She told him bluntly.

"Well, he makes you happy. And, I can't hate anyone who does that." He replied. At this, Elena gave her best impression of a smile. How could Matt be so good to her after all that she'd put him through?

"Matt? Matt, where'd you go? Mrs. Flowers says I'm ready and we're going to-" Bonnie called, stopping dead as she entered the kitchen. "Elena! How are you? You're eating? That's good. Matt, do you think she's okay enough to come into the living room to watch?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask her? She's right there, Bon." Matt chuckled. Bonnie blushed and turned to Elena, opening her mouth to ask again.

"I'm okay. And, I _would_ like to watch." Elena cut her off. Shoving the last bit of waffle into her mouth, Elena followed Bonnie into the living room, Matt at her heels. When they arrived, Elena found everyone else in a circle around the note. Bonnie moved to the center of the circle and took the note in her hand. Elena realized, as she and Matt joined in, that they had completed the circle. Then, Bonnie closed her eyes.

Elena watched, waiting for a telltale spark or gust of wind. She received nothing. There was no sign that Bonnie was doing anything at all. Elena frowned. _Something_ was supposed to happen, was it not?

**Damon POV:**

Damon awoke to find himself in a strange room. He was tucked into a king-sized bed. Startled, he sat up. Suddenly, the room was spinning. Damon clutched his head. Where was he? Then, another thought: Did it matter? He sighed and lay back against the pillows, surprisingly fluffy compared to the hard wooden chair he'd grown so used to. Stefan was _gone_. His little brother was dead and, ultimately, the blame lay with Damon. There was a statue across the room. Damon's gaze fell on it and stayed there. Staring into space felt better. When he cleared his mind, it was easier. He didn't have to think about anything. Damon blocked it all out and shut his eyes once more.

He heard a noise. A key turned in the lock on his door. Footsteps. Someone had entered the room. Damon opened his eyes. A maid. A _maid_? Since when did he get service? Last he checked, he'd been locked up. He sat up taller, realizing for the first time that he was without a shirt. His chest was bandaged. _Great. Bandages everywhere. I'm a mummy,_ he thought, looking at his wrist. The maid came towards him, carrying a tray. Breakfast. Damon's stomach rolled. When the maid set the tray down in front of him, he knew he was going to throw up. Leaning over the side of the bed, he lost whatever had been in his stomach. Groaning, he sat up, glaring at the maid. Quickly, she took the tray and left. So much for breakfast. Damon sighed and sank back into the now-familiar stupor. It was hard to believe it had only been a day and a half. Oh yes, Damon was counting the minutes. And, with each minute, the heaviness in his heart grew more painful. He wanted to forget. He wanted to block Stefan's memory out of his consciousness, but he couldn't. Damon was having trouble believing he was now an only child. Stefan was _Stefan_. He couldn't be gone. With that thought, he dropped off into sleep.

A strange dream woke Damon from his slumber. But, now that he was awake, he couldn't seem to remember it. He found that he was once again tucked into the large bed. But, the room was dark. Had they turned off the lights to allow him peace? No. Impossible. Damon wouldn't believe it until he could see it with his own eyes. The people holding him hostage didn't care for others. They didn't care for feelings and they certainly didn't care about their prisoners' comfort. Damon was at the bottom of their list of priorities, assuming he was on it at all. That brought him back to his original question. What did they _want_ with him? What could he possibly give them? He was weak and human, worthless prey. Damon was surprised at himself. This was the most thinking he'd done for a day and a half. He didn't want to think anymore. Once more, he closed his eyes and shut everything out.

Almost as soon as he'd managed to forget, the door opened. He cursed loudly. There was laughter from the direction of the door. Shinichi. He tensed. Damon wanted to kill the kitsune, to murder him in cold blood to avenge his little brother. But, he didn't have the strength. Muscles relaxing, he sighed.

"What do you want?" Damon kept it short and to the point.

"What do I want? Oh, Damon, I'm glad you asked." Shinichi replied, ghosting across the room. Now, he stood next to the bed, a grin plastered to his face. "I want to help you."

"Bullshit." Was Damon's only response.

"Clever, but I have an offer I don't think you can refuse." Shinichi stared at Damon with his strange golden eyes. It was as if the kitsune was staring _through_ him. Damon shuddered.

"What kind of offer?" He asked hesitantly. It would have a catch. These things always did. There was no way Shinichi suddenly wanted to help him.

"If your friends bring me what I want, I promise to let them go unharmed." Shinichi explained.

"What's the catch?"

"Catch? Why must you always assume there's a catch?"

"Because there's _always_ a catch. If you're going to sit here and play ridiculous games, you might as well go. I'm not in the mood."

"You forget that you're my prisoner. I can kill you very easily."

"Go ahead." Damon looked at the kitsune. Shinichi wore a shocked expression, but Damon knew he'd been counting on this. Truthfully, his offer sounded good. It all depended on what he'd have to do to get it. At this point, he wasn't sure he cared. If Elena would be safe, everything would be okay. Well, almost okay. He'd still be a pathetic human.

"The catch, Mr. Salvatore, is that _you _would have to stay with me." Shinichi crooned. It was almost as if he were trying to seduce Damon.

"That can't be it."

"Well, you'd have to do what I say, of course. But, that's all." Damon looked at Shinichi. If Elena brought the kitsune his sister's soul, she would be safe. Sure, he would have to stay. He would never again have the pleasure of kissing Elena, holding her. But, it was all worth it in the end. He was doing it for _her_. If his torment meant she was safe forever more, he would accept Shinichi's deal in a heartbeat.

"I suppose it's a lot to consider. I'll leave you to think." Shinichi stroked Damon's cheek once, making him shudder, before moving toward the door.

"Wait!" Damon yelled as Shinichi moved away. The kitsune turned to stare at the dark-haired human.

"Yes?"

"I'll do it. Just don't hurt Elena."

**Shinichi POV:**

"You have my word." He shut the door as a malicious smile twisted his face. As he made his way back to Misao, Shinichi began to giggle. He laughed all the way back to his master bedroom. His sister lay on the bed, pale and un-moving. Still, he went to her side, brushing her hair away from her face and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"We've got them, Misao. This time, we've got them."

**Stefan POV:**

He was…hovering. He looked down to see the ground miles and miles away from him. It was unnerving. He'd never really been a fan of heights. From here, he could see the boarding house. The lights were on and his friends were inside. He wasn't dead. Or, he didn't _think_ he was dead, anyway. He concentrated, trying to bring himself to the ground and failing miserably. Stefan groaned, frustrated. _Oh, Elena,_ he thought, _I'll be with you again. Just as soon as I figure out how to get down…_

**AN: And, Stefan returns! I couldn't kill him... I love him too much. This story is about to get darker... I thought I should give you fair warning. Anyway, as always, review!**


	11. Darkness Descends

**AN: This is the last chapter for the next week and a half or so. I have midterms coming up so my life sucks. XD Anyway, enjoy!**

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**Elena POV:**

She watched Bonnie and the sliver of paper. Still, nothing happened. She looked over at Matt. He seemed as confused as she was. Elena risked a glance in Mrs. Flowers' direction. The old woman was positively beaming. Elena's heart leapt. Something must have gone right! She looked at Bonnie again, waiting for some sort of confirmation. The red-head was still as a statue, staring intently at the note. Elena assumed she was still doing her spell. Yes, that must have been it. She was still doing magic. Something was going to happen. For the first time in almost two days, something was going to go her way. Elena perked up as Bonnie lifted her head.

At her friend's expression, Elena blanched.

"What is it, Bonnie? What's wrong?"

"I… I know where he is…" The witch told her. Elena's eyes lit up.

"So, where is he? What's wrong with you?" She asked. Bonnie didn't look as pleased as she ought to be. They were going to find Damon! Elena smiled.

"I don't know, Elena. Something feels off about this whole thing. I don't know if we should just go for it…"

"You're suggesting we leave a very human Damon Salvatore with Shinichi?" Matt asked, incredulous.

"No, of course not! I just think we should think this through before we go rushing in, you know? I have this feeling… I can't describe it. I think Shinichi's playing with us."

"Either way, if you know where Damon is, we're going to have to find him. I don't want to keep him there any longer than he has to be… Bonnie, we can think things through on the way!" Elena was adamant. She wasn't about to leave a vulnerable Damon with those…_things_.

"Elena…" Bonnie looked at her friend, unsure of what to do.

"Elena's right, Bonnie. We can't just leave him there. What plan could we possibly come up with, anyway?" Matt frowned. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Well…no. But, I'm telling you I don't think this is right."

"Regardless of whether or not it's right, we've got to go. Look, we've all had issues with Damon in the past, but we _can't_ just leave him. He's saved us way too many times for us to turn our backs on him now." Elena put in. She was going to leave tonight, with or without backup. "So, are you in or are you out?"

"I'm in." Matt said simply. They both turned to Bonnie. The ginger blushed, realizing her friends were staring at her. She thought for a moment.

"Yes… I'm in. Aren't I always? I know we can't leave him there, Elena. I just wish we had a better idea of what we're going to walk into."

**Damon POV:**

He wished he could just forget. He wished he hadn't been thrust into his current situation. He wished Shinichi had never decided to butt into his life! But, he had and now Damon was facing the consequences alone. _Alone. I'm all alone._ Quickly, he removed that thought from his head. The place was depressing enough without his morbid thoughts. Damon resolved to push all thoughts of Stefan to the back of his mind until he couldn't repress them any longer. He had to stay strong. It looked as if Damon was going to be there a while. He wouldn't give Shinichi the satisfaction of having truly broken him down. Yes, he'd been rather broken since "the incident". Still, Shinichi had yet to break the final barrier. Damon wasn't planning on letting him get that far.

**Shinichi POV:**

The kitsune rolled over on the large bed. He sat in the bedroom he shared with his dying sister. It was large and as ornately decorated as the rest of the house. The cells in the basement were kept bland and uninteresting for the sake of the prisoners, but that didn't mean the rest of the house had to look as unflattering. Misao loved decorating. She'd designed the interior of their home. Even Shinichi had to admit it was beautiful. But, could he expect anything less from his perfect sister?

He opened his eyes, his face falling when he saw her pale face. He stroked her cheek before getting up. Shinichi was angry. He was angry that the humans were taking so long. And, he was angry that he hadn't taken advantage of his captive as of yet. Sure, he'd hurt the man, but that didn't mean anything. Shinichi wanted to have some good old fashioned _fun_ with him.

He'd realized something wonderful. His new plan was perfect in every way. If all went well, he would have everything he wanted. Damon was his for the taking because Shinichi had led him to believe Elena would be safe if he did his bidding. Elena and the others were surely on their way thanks to his little warning. He could imagine Elena's golden hair soaked with tears as she sprinted through the forest to bring him Misao's star ball. How she would mourn the Salvatore boy! That was alright. He had Damon to entertain him until Elena arrived. Then, promises be damned, she would be his.

He ascended the stairs that would lead him to Damon's new bedroom. Shinichi had locked the door from the outside, realizing that was all it took to keep Damon within his grasp. The poor human didn't have the Power to escape. Not anymore. The bouquet had really worked to Shinichi's advantage. Now that Damon was powerless, Shinichi could prove himself dominant. And, prove himself he would. In fact, it was exactly what he had in mind. He'd been so very bored without Misao to play with. Now that Damon was his, he was going to enjoy himself.

Shinichi entered the bedroom, easily unlocking the wooden door. Damon was sleeping peacefully on the bed. _Perfect. _Shinichi was across the room in seconds, admiring his hostage. Damon truly was a perfect specimen. He was fit and…attractive. Shinichi could go both ways. While his primary focus was Elena, he would settle for Damon until she arrived.

He leaned over until his lips touched Damon's. Immediately, the captive's eyes opened wide. Shinichi disregarded Damon's horrified expression, kissing him roughly on the mouth. Damon fought him. Shinichi pulled away.

"I thought we had a deal. You're mine, Salvatore." He smirked. Damon looked at him, obviously terrified but trying to hide it. He knew exactly what Shinichi wanted with him.

"Not like this." Was Damon's only response. Shinichi only laughed and bent to kiss him again. He held the human down as he kissed him, passionately this time. Eventually, Damon realized fighting it was getting him nowhere. He went limp. Shinichi smiled against his lips. He was in charge and Damon knew it. He trailed kisses down Damon's jaw. Pulling back the covers, Shinichi noted with pleasure that Damon was still shirtless. He planted a kiss on Damon's chest before pulling away once more.

Shinichi had an idea. He pulled a dagger, seemingly out of nowhere. He held it up for Damon to see, the blade glinting in the sunlight. There was a window in the room, but the glass was thick. Damon would never be able to break it. Shinichi looked down again. Damon's eyes had widened to an impossible size. At this, the kitsune grinned. He brought the knife down to Damon's chest and a made a small cut there. When the blood welled, Shinichi bent down and licked it up. He looked up into Damon's face.

"Want some?" Shinichi giggled. Damon's heart rate picked up. "No? Oh, well. More for me, then." And, with that, Shinichi brought the dagger down once more.

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**AN: O.O What do you think? Reviews are my favorite things! They're like Christmas, Halloween, and my birthday rolled up in one little email!**


	12. Pain

**AN: Hey! I'm back with a new chapter. For the next few months, expect sporadic updates. However, there WILL be updates, so don't be too upset. Enjoy!**

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Damon POV:

Damon woke wrapped in his blankets. _A dream. It was all a dream,_ he thought, relieved. He moved to sit up only to gasp in pain and fall back to the mattress. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to fade. It wasn't instantaneous. Suddenly, Damon realized it hadn't been a dream at all. There was no other explanation. He was trapped with a psychotic kitsune, hell-bent on dredging up memories Damon had chosen to avoid for five hundred plus years. He groaned and rolled over, momentarily forgetting the damage the demon had done. This time, the pain was more intense. Damon couldn't hold back a whimper.

He was disgusted with himself. He wanted to get in the shower and scrub his entire body until layers of skin peeled off. Damon wanted to vomit just thinking about what Shinichi had done. Leaning over the side of the bed, he did just that. He was alarmed at the amount of blood that poured from his throat. Moving very slowly so as not to hurt himself, Damon sat back. Almost as soon as he'd made himself comfortable, the door opened. He tensed, mentally preparing himself for Shinichi's arrival because there was absolutely no way to prepare physically. Someone entered the room, but it was not Shinichi. It was the maid. Damon glared at her as angrily as he could manage when she made her way to the bed. She wore a horrified expression when she uncovered him. Suddenly, Damon realized she wasn't his enemy. In fact, she was a prisoner. Just like him. His face softened and he let her begin to cleanse his wounds. Her soft hands felt good against his mangled flesh.

**Elena POV:**

Elena left the boarding house, armed with a hand gun and what remained of the blessed bullets. Matt had insisted he be the one to carry the gun, but Elena had silenced him with a look. She wanted to be the one to destroy those who had destroyed her love. She missed Stefan more and more with each passing moment. It physically hurt her even to think about him. She pushed thoughts of her fiancé from her head and continued forward, Meredith, Matt, Sage, and Bonnie at her heels. Mrs. Flowers had opted to stay home and "hold down the fort". The quintet had deemed her capable and left her with the best protection they could scrounge up. Elena hoped the old woman would be there when they returned. She hoped they _would_ return.

"Take a left up here." Came Bonnie's voice. Elena turned in the direction Bonnie had indicated, keeping a steady pace. It was clear her friends were worried. Elena was past caring. She wanted revenge. Apart from that, she didn't really mind dying. At least, if she went, she would be reunited with Stefan. When this thought crossed her mind, she stopped. Something was stopping her from leaving this world again. _Damon_. She couldn't die because she had to free Damon from his newfound prison. Damon: the sweet, yet somehow emotionless vampire. But, he wasn't a vampire anymore. He was utterly helpless as a human and they had left him in Shinichi's hands. A wave of guilt crashed through Elena, but she continued moving. She couldn't stop. For, if she stopped, she would lose her resolve.

"Elena, are you sure you don't want to hand me the gun?" Matt spoke up from behind her. Elena shook her head and kept walking. It was obvious that her friends were worried about her state of mind. She hadn't exactly been sane for the last day and a half. Without Stefan, it was as if she were missing a piece of her. He was truly her other half. Again, Elena pushed thoughts of her love out of her mind, attempting to focus on the task ahead.

"Enter the wood here, Elena." Bonnie directed. Elena marched onward. Suddenly, her mind was overcome with doubts. Maybe it was the forest that surrounded her, the same trees that had been witnesses to Stefan's demise. But, all of a sudden, she felt hopeless. What chance did they have against Shinichi's army of possessed children? Who knew what sorts of creatures he had at his disposal wherever he was? She gripped the hand gun tightly. It was reassuring, her only protection. A hand grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop. Elena turned and met Meredith's eyes.

"Elena… This isn't going to be easy. I want to save him, too, but Shinichi is powerful. He's going to do everything he can to stop us. Are you ready for that?" Meredith spoke softly, but assuredly. She was as calm as ever. Elena let her words sink in before nodding. She knew she wasn't giving up on this. Even if it meant her death, she was going to save Damon. After all he'd been forced to go through, he didn't deserve this.

**Damon POV:**

Damon lay between blood-soaked sheets, trying in vain not to examine himself. He'd been holding his head high for hours now. The maid had gone, leaving him to his own devices. He felt as if he were drowning. Thinking was like dragging his feet through a swamp. Everything was hazy. His vision had a distinctive red tint. Damon knew he was in bad shape. His mind automatically blocked out everything Shinichi had done to him. Damon knew that if he thought about it, he would lose his mind. It brought back awful memories of his human life. In his head, Shinichi and his father's faces were blending together. They were his tormentors, always there. His father's voice was always in his head, always reminding him he would never be good enough. Now, Shinichi was staking his claim.

Finally, Damon's curiosity got the better of him. He looked down and gasped. Splotches of black and blue covered his chest. There were small cuts around his collarbone. Damon pulled back the blankets. At least Shinichi had had the decency to redress him. It was more than his father had ever done. The bruising continued in a wicked pattern down his sides. There were black and blue marks on his inner thighs. Bloodstains covered his body. He threw the covers back over himself, disgusted. He couldn't see anymore. It brought back too many memories. Again, his father's face appeared in his thoughts. And, when Giuseppe popped into Damon's mind, Stefan was never far behind. This time, thoughts of his brother seemed to hurt the most. Hurriedly, Damon pushed all thoughts from his mind, focusing all of his energy on a painting across the room.

The painting depicted a single ship floating across an endless span of blue sea. The ship had very little detail. It was a simple brown boat with a white sail. It looked like a child's rendition. The sea, however, was the polar opposite of the small ship. Damon could see every wave, every bubble, every fish that swam within it. It was the epitome of detail. Damon sat in the too-big bed, trying to figure out what that meant. The artist was obviously trying to remind people that they should stop and look around them, enjoy the scenery, live in the moment. But, Damon had lost his chance. How he wished he'd taken the time to enjoy his afterlife, rather than wasting it ruining his brother's. He wished he had taken the time to reconnect with his little brother before Stefan was so cruelly ripped away.

The doorknob was turning again. Damon knew, this time, that it was not the maid. He tensed, ready for whatever was to come. He had to be strong because, if he let his guard down for even a moment, he would give in. And, if he gave in, it would mean that Shinichi had won. Damon was nothing if not stubborn. This was one battle he would not lose.

**Stefan POV:**

He hung in the air, feeling as if he were suspended in time. At any other moment, it would have been peaceful. But, Stefan knew his love was below. He knew that his brother was in grave danger and that Elena was putting herself in danger to rescue him. He tried in vain to return to the ground. It was so very far away. No matter how hard he concentrated, no matter how hard he tried, Stefan couldn't seem to make himself drop even a millimeter.

Out of the corner of his eye, Stefan saw a small translucent string. It seemed to originate in the place his heart should have been. But, that wasn't possible. His heart had been ripped out of his chest when Elena's tear-streaked face had come into view. Still curious, Stefan tugged on the string. Suddenly, he dropped about a foot. Gasping, Stefan let go. Then, tentatively, he grabbed the string again. This time, he gave it a light tug. He dropped a few inches. He continued, pulling harder and harder until he was sailing toward the ground. He was going to see Elena again!

Unfortunately, Stefan did not take into account the forest below. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by trees. Shortly after that, there was pain and he was no longer falling. Looking down, he realized he'd impaled himself on a branch. The first thing he really noticed was that it _hurt_. An agonized growl ripped through his throat. He struggled, but it only drove the branch in farther. It had missed his heart, so he was in no danger of dying yet. Still, he was stuck in a tree in the middle of the Old Wood. No one would be looking for him at this point. Stefan had "died". He groaned. How would he get out of this one?

Stefan froze, hearing a sound from below. Was it Shinichi's band of merry minions? _Perfect._ He thought, dejected. He was in the worst possible position, completely vulnerable. He held his breath (it wasn't difficult because he was a vampire) and waited for them to pass. Sure enough, a group passed under his tree. Stefan couldn't bear to look. He focused his attention on a cloud that looked suspiciously like an elephant. Maybe if he didn't look down, they wouldn't look up. Then, a cry pierced through the air.

"Stefan?" _Elena._

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**AN: Like it? Hate it? Review!**


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